TRANSPORTATION

INTRODUCTION

To say that transportation issues are important to Easton would be an understatement. The various routes and terminuses that comprise the transportation system of Easton have a profound impact on Town residents, workers, and visitors. This system provides the means for all of these people to get from home to work as well as to reach shopping, entertainment, and cultural, attractions both within and beyond Easton. Ensuring that this system operates efficiently, yet in a manner that respects the numerous and sometimes conflicting needs of all who use and are impacted by the system, is the general theme of this chapter.

BACKGROUND

One of the major factors influencing the way in which land is used is the transportation system. This is certainly true in Easton. The earliest estates in Talbot County, including some in the Easton area, date back over 300 years to locations chosen out of the necessity to be located on the water. Much of the large industrial buildings which seem out of place in the middle of Easton, make more sense when one considers that they were once located on a thriving rail line dating back to the mid 1800's. Finally, Easton has grown eastward in the last 40 to 50 years, due in no small part to the presence of high traffic volummes on a major highway, U.S. Route 50.

Clearly one of the major factors shaping both the type and location of growth (particularly commercial growth) over the past few decades has been U.S. Route 50. With the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952 came the opportunity for millions of Western Shore residents to easily travel to the Eastern Shore, primarily to Ocean City and nearby resorts. Over the years since that time, entrepreneurs have built a variety of establishments, particularly fast-food restaurants and gasoline stations, along the Route 50 corridor in an attempt to entice this large migrating market to stop in Easton.

There is little doubt that some business owners have profited handsomely from Route 50 and it's seasonal traffic. However, this same traffic carries numerous negative impacts ranging in scope from minor inconveniences to life-threatening dangers. In most basic terms the source of these negative impacts is two-fold: (1) too many points of direct access onto/off-of Route 50 and (2) Route 50 trying to essentially be two kinds of road at once, a local service route and a quasi-interstate highway.

While it is clear that improvements are desperately needed to Route 50, it is less clear what form those improvements should take. There is a fear among many local residents that the State Highway Administration will dualize the Easton Parkway and have it serve as an Easton Bypass. This would be disastrous in many respects. Obviously, those highway-oriented businesses located on Route 50 would suffer. Many would probably be forced to close. However the larger concern is that such a change would essentially solve nothing and would cause new problems. With the growth of the Town toward and along the Parkway in recent years, numerous signalized intersections would be necessary, probably even more than exist now on Route 50. The alternative to signalized intersections is grade-separated intersections, but that would seem to be precluded at several locations (e.g. MD 33 & MD 333) by environmental constraints.

Another objection to such a major change in traffic patterns is based on the impact it would have on the western portion of Easton and Talbot County. When the Easton Parkway was constructed in the 1960's it was for the purpose of affording residents of Western Talbot County the opportunity to travel north or south without having to make the circuitous trip through Easton. Despite the growth in signalized intersections, the Parkway still serves that function well. However, it is doubtful this would still be the case if the Parkway became "Route 50 - Bypass".

The Visioning Committee and the Town Planning Workshop participants clearly preferred other alternatives to such a drastic change. In basic terms they said that the Town should work with the County and State to make Route 50 the best it can be. Several improvements were suggested including:

Another commonly expressed transportation problem in the Town is east-west access. This has been a long-standing problem and, as discussed above, was part of the reason for building the Easton Parkway. The Parkway does work well for travellers from the west who want to go north or south without having to travel through Town. However, for travelers who want to go from west to east (or east-west) either through Town or simply to get from one side of Town to the other, there is no particularly good route.

This difficulty in moving in an east-west direction is largely at the root of the problem of what is perceived by residents to be inordinate traffic through the St. Aubin's neighborhood. Simply stated, Aurora Street to Wrightson Avenue to Glebe Road is the path of least resistance for the employees of Black and Decker who live in points east of Town. Recently enacted traffic management techniques in this neighborhood should ease congestion in that location, but still ignores the fact that there is truly no easily travelled route for these people to take. The construction of such a road would go a long way in alleviating many of Easton's in-Town traffic ills.

The discussion above touched on one neighborhood scale traffic concern, that of too much through- traffic on generally residential streets. There are other neighborhood scale transportation problems. For example, cars parked too close to intersections was a commonly expressed problem by the participants in the Town Planning Workshops. This causes visibility problems, leading to cars creeping into the intersection in order to determine if there is any on-coming traffic. Also, in some neighborhoods parking is a problem, particularly in residential areas in and around the Town Center. Another concern was the problem of many street signs having the name on only one side. This may seem rather minor in nature when considering the overall scope of transportation issues in the Town as a whole, but it is very important when you need to find someone or need someone to find you.

The preceding paragraphs focused primarily on Easton's road system. There are, however, other modes of transportation in and around Easton. The remainder of this subsection will focus on these alternative transportation facilities and systems.

Easton is fortunate to have air service within town limits. The Easton Airport is a County-owned facility located at the northern end of the Town just west of Old Centreville Road (MD Rte. 662) and south of Airport Road. Primary access to the airport is via U.S. Rte. 50. Operation of the airport is accomplished by the County Council and an Airport Manager with the assistance of a five member Airport Advisory Board appointed by the County Council.

Easton Airport is a general aviation airport that serves primarily corporate jets and private planes. Charter service to destinations throughout the United States and adjacent areas is provided by East Coast Flight Services (jet) and Maryland Airlines (piston engine). The airport presently averages between 240 and 250 operations per day (i.e. takeoffs and landings) with some peak days reaching 350 per day. Several air service related businesses and industries are located at the airport.

With the growth of Easton Airport has increasingly come conflicts between the airport and its neighbors as a result of the increase in traffic, noise, etc. In response to this conflict, Talbot County has instituted special zoning requirements for County lands surrounding the airport. In addition, the County has obtained several avigation easements on properties adjacent to the facility that essentially prohibit any use or activity that would interfere with flight operations. The County plans to acquire more avigation easements as opportunities arise in the future.

Much of the land surrounding the Airport lies within the Town of Easton. This area is not subject to any special airport-related zoning requirements at this time. This is an option that could perhaps be added in a future revision of the Town's Zoning Ordinance. In the meantime, all of the land immediately surrounding the airport is zoned for industrial uses. Provided that airport clear zones are respected and that uses are restricted to something like warehousing or storage on those properties potentially at risk to an aircraft accident, this should be sufficient to minimize future conflicts in this area.

In another area, the residential areas of North Easton and County land surrounding the northern part of Easton, the conflict is not the potential for accidents as much as it is the inconvenience created by the increased air traffic. This calls for sacrifice on the part of both parties. Residents of these areas must realize that they live in the proximity of an airport and that this does in fact create a certain amount of nuisance. On the other hand, the airport should do its part to minimize the impacts on these areas by channelling its growth and the associated nuisances towards the industrial and undeveloped neighboring properties.

Port facilities for the Town of Easton are provided at Easton Point. This area generated intense interest among the Visioning Committee and the Town Planning Workshop participants.

At the present time Easton Point contains a mix of recreational (boat ramp and marina) and industrial uses. The consensus of the Visioning Committee was that the future development of this area should preserve this mixture and include enhanced opportunities for public access to the water and shoreline. As was mentioned in the Growth chapter, even though this area is not presently located with the Town of Easton, it was selected as one for which a Small Area Plan should be prepared.

Rail service in Easton and in all of Talbot County has been discontinued for several years. The remaining rights-of-way have generally either been retained by the State Rail Administration or reverted to private property owners. This makes the restoration of rail service unlikely during the planning period.

There is an organization in Easton that is attempting to bring an excursion train from Clayton, Delaware to the restored railroad station located between Dover and Goldsborough Streets. At present time it seems unlikely that this group will be successful in obtaining State approval to cross U.S. Route 50 with the train. However, if they should be successful, so long as the soon to be constructed rail-trail is not adversely affected, little impact is expected.

Transportation Plans often focus almost exclusively on the highways of a community, with perhaps a little attention directed to air, rail, and/or port service. What is often totally neglected is the most fundamental mode of transportation, walking, and the system to accommodate these pedestrians, sidewalks.

The older sections of Easton have long had sidewalks and recently some parts of this area have undergone sidewalk and streetscape improvement projects. Since the early 1980's, the Planning and Zoning Commission has required sidewalks as one of the elements of infrastructure necessary to approve a subdivision. The problem areas are those that developed in the interim, primarily during the 1950's, 60's and 70's. In these areas there are no sidewalks and pedestrians are forced to use the roadway. Obviously this is not the safest situation. Areas such as these are prime locations for the Town to retroactively install sidewalks.

In recent years planning for bicycle travel has become more important. Bicycle path design and construction is one of the most frequently used projects for Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) monies. Such projects may not be as high profile or glitzy as a light rail or subway system, but they are imminently more affordable and can potentially be just as effective in spreading the total transportation demand among a wider variety of modes of travel.

The State is also interested in promoting bicycle travel. One of the mandates of the Growth Act is that Transportation elements of Comprehensive Plans must now address pedestrian and bicycle trails as potential modes of travel. There was also a great deal of interest in the issue amongst Easton's Visioning Committee. The Transportation improvements as identified on the Conceptual Development Plan Map found later in this chapter includes a recommendation to develop the Bicycle/pedestrian trail on Easton's abandoned north-south rail line as was first recommended in the 1989 Comprehensive Plan. This Plan, however, goes further to recommend connecting this trail with a new trail running west to St. Michael's (and possibly beyond) via the old railroad right-of-way which parallels MD Rte. 33. The issue of bicycle planning is also a priority at the County level where Talbot County is currently contracting for a study of potential improvements and future routes for the County bicycle transportation system.

The hiking/biking trails recommended for Easton have numerous justifications. In the context of this chapter, they would be another component of Easton's transportation system. They would also, however, be important for recreational and economic development reasons. In recreational terms, hiking/biking trails serve as a linear park and as a connection between larger parks. The original rational, in fact, for the rail/trail was to connect Idlewild park in South Easton with the North Easton park located just north of Chapel Road. Where opportunities exist, other parks should be similarly connected in the future.

Economic Development is the subject of the next chapter of this Plan. Bicycling/hiking come into play in terms of economic development in that tourism is a very important and growing segment of both Easton's and Talbot County's economy. The fastest growing segments of the tourism industry are eco-tourism and heritage tourism, both of which tie in nicely with bicycle and hiking systems.

As anyone who has ever travelled to Oxford or St. Michael's in the spring through fall can attest, there are already a significant number of bicyclists in Talbot County. If in fact this system is enhanced as is currently being contemplated by the County, it makes a lot of sense for Easton to serve as the hub of this system. Easton is basically the geographic center of the County and is one of the few places with the restaurants, hotels, etc., to support increased tourism activity.

There is no known estimate of the current utilization of Easton or Talbot County's bicycle/pedestrian trails. However, given the factors described above, it can be expected that such utilization will increase, perhaps significantly, throughout this planning period.

Easton does not offer any form of Public Transportation. This is not expected to change during the Planning period. However, Upper Shore Aging offers a U-STAR transportation service. This is a demand-response service which is available to residents of Kent, Caroline, and Talbot Counties, including the Town of Easton.

Recently, officials from Upper Shore Aging have suggested that perhaps Easton has grown, or soon will grow, to the point where a more formal system could be sustained in Town. This would presumably involve establishing defined routes with regularly scheduled stops. Such a service would be a great benefit to Easton’s residents.

Transportation Map

The Conceptual Development plan in the back of this document depicts recommended improvements to the Transportation facilities and system of Easton as developed by the Visioning Committee. The following summarizes the recommendations contained on this map:

TRANSPORTATION GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

GOAL

To provide a functional road and street system for the safe, convenient and efficient movement of people, goods and services among places of residence, employment, shopping and recreation and to provide a circulation system which is compatible with, and promotes, the logical and rational development of the Town of Easton.

OBJECTIVES

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES